64 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com NOVEMBER 2017CRUISING GROUND
£40 for the year, obtainable from the
harbour office.
The well-frequented lower reaches
of the river are both charming and
interesting, but it is the river above
Buckler’s Hard which is quieter, more
attractive, and where wildlife is more
likely to be seen. After completing
the first turn upriver from Buckler’s
Hard around Keeping Marsh so the
boat goes roughly from east to west,
you will see Keeping Jetty on the
left. Kingfishers sometimes use the
jetty handrails as a diving platform.
Landing is allowed, as with Bailey’s
Hard further up, but not berthing.
Ornithologists may be interested in a
hide off the main path, just south of
the landing.
Further up on the right, on the
next bend, there is a rather lovelyT
he name Beaulieu is said to
be a shortened version, via
French, of the phrase Bellus
Locus Regis –beautiful
place of the King – possibly
referring to King John. The river is
still beautiful and one of the great
joys is that it gets more beautifulthe further up you go, all the way to
Timbrell’s Quay at Beaulieu village.
Moreover, given a spring-ish high
water, there is a good 2m depth in the
channel almost that far.
The wooded banks are lined
with a variety of enviable houses
on the eastern side, mostly with
accompanying private jetties. All these
houses are served by a road from the
village called Dock Lane.
The leading marks at the river
entrance are No2 post and Lepe
House. There is only 1m over the bar
at chart datum and the deepest water
is when No2 post is in line with the
house’s west end, Lepe being quite an
extensive pile.
You can anchor in the first reach of
the river but not further up. A licence
is needed for fishing, £5 for a day orThe upper
reaches of the
Beaulieu River
Peter Bruce takes a
dinghy day-trip to
explore the
beautiful Beaulieu River
above Buckler’s Hard
Inset: looking east at Low Water from
over Bailey’s Hard towards Spearbed
Copse and Sims WoodMoored yachts adorn the meandering
beauty of the Beaulieu River